


The Wedding Date

by Anonymous



Series: pov rhaenys targaryen works that are "meh" + may never be finished [3]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Craigslist, Daddy Issues, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Crack, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Older Man/Younger Woman, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rare Pairings, What's a crackfic without any crack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25242127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: *crack fic*Single and almost 40, Benjen Stark doesn't think he should go to his Da's second wedding alone. He jumps on Craigslist to find a fake date.Ray is in - but she doesn't realise until she gets to Winterfell that she knows Ben's family *very well*. Especially Ben's brother-in-law, Rhaegar.Chaos ensues.
Relationships: Benjen Stark/Rhaenys Targaryen (Daughter of Elia)
Series: pov rhaenys targaryen works that are "meh" + may never be finished [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741027
Comments: 15
Kudos: 28
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So rare pairs are fun, and after reading Hidden Princess and a Lost Ranger by Nanso (as well as The Scars That Bind; I recommend all of Nanso's works) - I thought, well, I'm anonymous, this ship sounds fun to work with, I am doing a Rhaenys POV series right now, and I want to write something really funny but steamy. So here we all are :)
> 
> This story has been inspired by a real Craigslist ad from a few years ago. I've read a few stories on AO3 also inspired by that ad lol.

Even Da found a woman and was getting married.

Being a bachelor was fine for Ben, and suited him since he lived and breathed the icy plains of the Wall Reserve. Relationships came and quickly fizzled for him, either through sheer bad luck or the fact that not a lot of women were willing to date the lonely park ranger who resided in a shanty in the middle of nowhere.

But Ben rather liked the isolation and dramatic landscape he woke up to every day. He also liked doing boring things like measuring snowfall and doing lab tests for flora which grew in the region. He didn't like having to erect "NO LITTER" signs for the little shits from the South who came up to the Wall for the summers.

Ben only drove to Mole Town every fortnight on his four-wheel drive for supplies. Occasionally, he drove down to Winter Town too, and he’d be lying if he did not admit that seeing Ned surrounded by his wife and brood didn’t affect him in any way.

“You're not getting any younger Benji,” Da said over the phone, “there must be some lass – or lad, I don’t judge – who fancies you enough to live on the arse end of the North.”

Perhaps the final straw for Ben was when he visited Winter Town a month back. He had heard Sansa, his normally sweet niece, giggling with _Arya_ of all people, about how they have two creepy uncles in the family.

Ben _refused_ to be compared to that sleaze Baelish.

Visiting family and trying to ignore Cat’s worried stares or Da’s questions about when he’d get more grandkids was beginning to get oppressive. It wasn’t nearly as oppressive as waking up every morning to a lonely bed.

Maybe he’d get a dog. Man’s best friend, and all. 

For now, he needed a date for Da’s wedding.

Ben got a beer from the fridge, and waited for the slow modem of his mid 2000’s computer to buffer the Craiglist website. Outside, a snowstorm raged, rattling the windows.

Obviously, Ben wouldn’t search for “fake dates” in the Mole's Town area, which was more of a rural village where everyone knew each other’s business. He expanded his search to Winter Town, and was lucky to find a few decent fake dates who could travel to Winterfell for the wedding. Feeling a little relaxed, Ben messaged a few profiles and asked about their availability.

The next day, Ben logged onto Craigslist after doing the washing and drying his clothes over the heater. He was dismayed to see that no one he messaged would be available for the Winter Solstice date, it being a public holiday and family feast day traditionally. Ben winced as he saw one, final ad.

**_Alone for the holidays? Mad at dad?_ **

_I am a twenty-something female with a misdemeanor under my name who has just graduated with no job lined up. I drive a car one year younger than me with three different doors. I can look anywhere between seventeen or thirty depending on what I wear and how I talk. I take shifts as a pole dancer for a club. If you’d like to have me as your strictly platonic date for the Solstice, but have me pretend to be in a very long or serious relationship with you, I’m in._

_I can do these things, at your request:_

_Openly hit on other guests while you act like you don’t notice_

_Start instigative discussions about politics and/or religion_

_Propose to you in front of everyone_

_Pretend to be really drunk as the evening goes on_

_Start an actual, physical fight with a family member, either inside or on the front lawn for all the neighbors to see._

_$30 an hour + gas to get to your place  
_

Ben was not sure if it would be appropriate for nearly forty him to bring along a twenty something pole dancer to his Da's wedding. But his brother and Cat's worried expressions floated around his head, along with Lysa and Baelish's smug faces.

X

Ray was pretty sure that she would _not_ bump into her Dad at Winter Town, which was actually a pretty big and busy place.

Hoping that this Ben's folks were nice enough to let her park her scrap heap of a car in their garage and away from the cold, Ray drove up to the address given by text alongside his Driver's License in case he kidnapped her and kept her in a basement along with his secret stash of shorn fingernails.

Ray knew that 'Stark' was as common a surname as Smith in the Westerlands or Sand in Dorne, so she tried to stamp out her trepidation. She had some savings and enough cash to get by as a dancer, but she _really_ wanted an ice cream machine, and didn't fancy dancing half naked on Winter Solstice for lonely old men to get the money for one. She only finished her nursing degree recently at White Harbour, and was _sure_ that some clinic or hospital would be willing to overlook her _minor_ misdemeanor (from before college!). Her family was either on holiday in the Summer Islands or busy with work, so Ray didn't bother going down to Dorne this year.

She saw that the house she drove to was in a rather nice neighborhood with no potholes on the road. The houses were big, with white fences and lots of new cars on the drive-ways, and she parked her own mess of a vehicle outside the address she was given.

Ray glanced at the cracked rear view mirror to check if her hair was in place and she had no sleep in her eyes. She had been given instructions to 'just be normal' and tell no one that she was a dancer by Ben. Not willing to risk her chance of getting a new ice-cream machine, Ray was determined to be mundane, civil and _normal_ this whole weekend.

She called Ben and told him she was outside waiting for him, and then began wondering about whether she'd try making chocolate or strawberry ice cream first.

Ben winced when he saw that Ray's car was indeed a wreck, but he had better manners than to acknowledge it in front of her. He saw a small young woman come out of the vehicle and lock it (he wasn't sure who would steal it), before turning around to approach him.

He tried not to let his jaw drop upon seeing one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met. Wrapped in a mangy coat and fluffy beanie, he could still see her heart shaped face and doe-like eyes, which he was surprised to see were violet. He only had met a few other people with eyes like her before. Ray was clearly from the South, probably Dorne, judging by her smooth caramel skin which was flushed pink at the cheeks because of the cold.

"Ben Stark?" Ray asked with a hesitant smile.

"Yeah," Ben replied, his eyes wandering to her soft pink lips. "Ray Martell?"

"Yes," she answered with a quick nod, "So the wedding is later this afternoon, reception this evening and that's it, right?"

"I'll pay you in cash, by the hour, and the gas, of course." Ben responded. He really could not believe he was _paying someone_ to date him.

"Okay, so before we go in, let's recap the basics," Ray started, "We met online, like most people do now."

"We have a long distance relationship," Ben felt his tongue getting dry, "three months strong."

"We meet every three weeks, you come over to my place at White Harbour."

"You packed a dress?" Ben asked.

Ray nodded and motioned to her backpack.

They walked up to the front door together, but before Ben could open it himself, he saw that Ly had opened it.

"Hi!," Ly kissed both of Ray's cheeks, beaming brightly and looking excited, "you must be my baby brother's girlfriend!"

Ray nodded with a cordial smile, as Ly hugged Ben, but he noticed Ray's eyes widen with panic as she stared at who else came out to the front porch.

"Rhaenys?" It was Ly's husband, Rhaegar.

"Hi dad."

Ray's voice was small.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ****** WARNING! Accidental and probably very dangerous drug use! ****
> 
> This is fiction, please don't eat half a teaspoon of crack!

"You know each oth-" Ben's brain was going at 100 miles an hour.

"Hi Dad!" Ray’s voice was small, and Ben felt the urge let her burrow her face in his jacket to hide.

Ly was deathly pale, and that was when Ben knew that _he had really cocked things up_.

Then Da decided to come out to the porch.

"Benji," his voice was warm, which made Ben feel more guilty, "let me have a look at your lass."

Ly and Ben shared a look.

_We are not going to fuck up Da's wedding day._

Ray felt all the air leave her lungs, like the world had tilted on its axis.

Perhaps if she wished for it _really_ hard, she'd sink right into the ground.

Everything started well enough. Ben came out of the porch to the door and greeted her. He was tall, with pale skin and dark hair, which made him quite striking. Ray felt at ease upon seeing him smile awkwardly at seeing her.

Then, Rhaenys was _hugged by Lyanna_ , and her dad came out of nowhere to the porch.

He said her name, and Ray thought she responded, but everything was becoming a fever dream - 

Rhaenys was surprised to notice that her dad didn’t have that male model-like beauty he once had. The wrinkles on his forehead were more prominent, along with the strands of grey in his light blonde hair. It was a surprising contrast to her mum. Elia had some of her years catch up to her too, but she looked sophisticated, not tired like Rhaegar, and had wrinkles around her eyes from years of smiling.

Lyanna, Rhaenys noted with thinning lips, was looking nice. Her dark hair was shining and Ray's eyes dropped to the diamond ring sparkling on her stepmother’s finger.

"Benji," a booming voice came from inside the house, "let me have a look at your lass."

Lyanna’s head kept turning back and forth between her, Ben and Rhaegar, until she took (or maybe sunk her claws into) Rhaegar's arm and both of them fucked off to gods know where.

A tall elderly man who resembled Benji, but more heavy set, thumped down the stairs and to the porch towards them.

"She's bonny, Benji!" the man smiled down at Ray, and gave Ben a couple pats on the back so forceful that it would have knocked any normal person down to the ground, but the two men were chuckling warmly.

"Da," Ben's voice was strained, "this Ray, my girlfriend."

" _Girl_ friend all right, the lass is a wee bairn!," Ben’s Da responded as he extended a large calloused hand forward, “Rickard Stark, lass.”

Lyanna had a Northern lilt in her voice, Ben had a Northern brogue, but their dad's speech was almost unintelligible to Rhaenys.

"Congratulations on your wedding," Rhaenys tried to muster a wan smile as she shook his hand weakly, "and thank you for letting me be a guest on your special day."

“Benji treating you well?” Rickard’s heavy brows wrinkled, and he gave a stern look to Ben, “she’s looking a bit peaky.”

"Ben treats me well," Ray was feeling dazed, "pays for my gas and everything."

"I'm going to take Ray to our room," Ben was guiding Ray upstairs before his father could even respond, "any free room should do."

“No hanky panky lad,” Rickard Stark chortled behind them as she and Ben climbed the stairs. Ben's firm grip on Ray’s arm was an anchor to reality, a reminder that _she had really fucked up_.

X

“So this is it then,” Rob looked at the small plastic zip-lock bag in Theon’s hands, “is this enough for the holidays?”

“This is all he gave me with what I paid him,” Theon glared at Petyr, who was reclining on the couch with Aunt Lysa, helping themselves to Granda’s gin. Petyr was watching Ned and Rhaegar smoking together out in the yard with bemusement.

Ned turned to glance at Robb through the kitchen window at that moment, and he and Theon nearly shat themselves. Theon dropped the pack and some of the powder stained Robb’s hired tux.

“Shit!” Robb’s girly screech would’ve been funny if they weren’t about to be caught with a small bagful of weed.

“Robb! Language!” Mum had come into the kitchen, glaring at both of them and her eyes were drawn to the white powder stain on Robb’s tux. She tuttered as she grabbed a tea towel to rub the stain out, and while she was distracted, Robb noticed Theon empty the contents of the bag into the sugar pot.

“We’ll get it later, let’s go upstairs now!” Theon hissed as they left the kitchen, trying to look inconspicuous.

X

Ben took Ray to a room and made her sit on the bed while he loomed over her, like a scolding parent, arms crossed with a stern expression on his long face.

They both eyed each other with suspicion, for a moment, daring each other to speak first.

"You saw my ID. And you saw me a few times when I visited Lyanna on the weekends when you were younger."

"I..." Ray's voice was hoarse.

Of _course_ , Lyanna's family thought wicked Elia and her car crash kids were jealous and out to destroy their precious little family.

"I don’t actually remember Lyanna's brothers that well. I know she had two, but I - I only saw the younger one three times and before he enlisted. I _really_ couldn’t care what the names of my stepmother's brothers were." Ray added defensively, "But there were, like, _four_ Benjen Starks at uni, and three of them had dark hair," Ray motioned to Ben's hair.

Seeing Ben’s frown deepen, Ray's initial defensiveness began into dissolve to panic. She couldn’t stop herself from wringing at her fingers, and her throat felt dry.

"Look, if I knew, I would have _never_ signed up for this. I can leave right now - forget about the money."

"Your da is - well, he's well off," Ben said instead, "Why are you, erm - dancing and fake dating strange men?"

Ray's head snapped up to glare at Ben.

“I want an ice-cream machine,” Ray replied shortly. She did _not_ have to tell Lyanna’s brother anything, “And just let me go –“

"I can’t let you leave now," Ben started slowly, "but we'll just have to make sure Da doesn’t find out,” Ben walked to the window, which was frosted and rattling due to the snow outside, "raw memories and all."

He was speaking to himself now, but Ray was unfortunately conscious of their messy family history.

Apparently, her dad's father had a whole slate of mental issues, and purposely shut his mansion gates on the car of Lyanna's oldest brother when he came to confront Rhaegar about why he was dallying with his little sister, the young baby sitter.

"I," Ray felt like she should say something, but it was _dumb_ of her to say sorry. "My grandfather hurt a lot of people, including our own family. Obviously, what he did to yours was more, um -,” Ray felt _so_ fucking awkward, but she hesitantly walked towards the window to Ben and tried to keep her voice gentle, “It would be best if I leave. I don’t want to impose on you family now that you’re healing, -"

"You don’t have to answer for anything lass," Ben’s accent became thicker as he interrupted her, and turned around to place both his hands on her shoulders, "And you can sit far away from your own da, and leave after the wedding ceremony."

"Yeah, I can do that," Ray nodded hesitantly, looking up at him. Ben's grey eyes twinkled, and a grin returned to his face. His hands were still on her shoulders.

"Good. Just change into your dress, I’ll bring you down when we’re leaving to get to the venue.”

"Great," Rhaenys smiled hesitantly and nodded.

"Good girl," Ben said, patting her back; and Ray felt herself _preen_ at the compliment, at how his warm hand covered nearly her whole back.

X

Ben left their room to go downstairs but noticed that Lyanna was marching upstairs straight towards him, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"What is she doing _here_?" Ly hissed.

"I brought her here." Ben whispered back.

Both of them were very much considerate of the fact that they were in the first-floor hall and _someone_ could hear their conversations from their rooms.

"How did you not know?"

"We were seeing each other casually," Ben scrambled for an excuse, "and we don’t talk much -"

"Stop!" Lyanna gave him a look of disgust, then scowled, "I get it, please _don’t_ continue!"

Ben's eyes widened in realisation as to what Lyanna thought he was implying, but he decided to run with it.

"Ray'll stay in my room, keep out of yours and Rhaegar's hair and leave after the ceremony."

"Can’t she just go now?"

"Aye, Benji’s brought a lass – no, that talk of a snowstorm is tosh…" they heard their Da’s growl from his room, and Ben raised his brow to Lyanna, who looked frustrated.

"I just need you to remember," Lyanna squeezed eye eyes shut and sighed, "she might be using you to get back at her Da."

Ben frowned. Although it was a strange coincidence, Ben _did_ actually believe that Ray told him the truth. His name was common, and Ray to his knowledge had not spoken to her father for some time. Ben himself only vaguely recalled visiting Lyanna and Rhaegar after their shotgun wedding for a few times, and he saw Rhaegar's children for fewer times still. All he could remember were two sullen children with tanned skin.

Lyanna must have noticed the slight frown on his face.

"I'm not saying she's _vindictive_ , but a little wild," Lyanna continued, keeping her voice low. The irony of this statement was not lost on Ben – as bairns, Ly ran amock with her brothers, beating them in mud wrestling, and cackling like a hyena when their aunt called Ly wild.

“You’ve been called wild plenty of times. That lad you punched at the gym –“

"She has a past,” Lyanna cut in, “Rhaenys…has made a lot of folks worry about her in the past, and not just Rhaegar, but his ex too. And Rhaegar’s in shock – he’s in the garden right now having a smoke, which he hasn’t done in 3 years , which is around the same time Rhaenys had last visited him.”

“Has Rhaegar ever visited her?”

“Of course,” Ly rolled her eyes, “all those visitation weekends he travelled all the way…”

Ben wasn’t really interested in Rhaegar. His thoughts were going back to Rhaenys, her chocolate brown curls, her wide violet eyes which looked up at him as she spoke to him about Brandon. Rhaegar’s tiny daughter was braver than him, because she wasn’t afraid to confront and acknowledge the past.

“Are you listening to what I’m saying –“ Ly scowled, then pinched his ear.

“Ow, Ly, when did you become such a nag?”

“I’ve been married for years and have a teenage son, so excuse me if I’m not one of the boys anymore!”

“So you’re not forcing Sansa to be part of the football team anymore – never mind, where’s Jon?”

“He’s probably with Arya,” Ly flicked her wrist in impatience, “you should know that Rhaenys has got a misdemeanour.”

Ben was aware of this, seeing as it was on the Craigslist ad, but he was a little curious about what it was for.

Hopefully not drugs though. He couldn’t have his fake date snorting in the bathroom at Da’s wedding.

“It was indecent exposure. She had sex in the car with her boyfriend in high school and a police officer caught them.”

“That’s it?”, Ben chuckled, “We all did stuff in our cars in high school Ly, she just got caught.”

_At least Ly doesn’t know about Ray’s current day job._

“That’s not the point – it’s that she hasn’t stopped with the boyfriends since! There was the magician that made Rhaegar’s wallet disappear – forever. There was the guitarist who slapped Rhaella’s butt! The tattooist with two children from different mothers! And let’s not talk about the casual boyfriends – the college hostel warden called us to warn Rhaegar about the number of night-time visitors she was getting. Then there was the dealer, which nearly got Rhaenys thrown out of Law School – Rhaegar had to call nearly all his contacts and favours for her not to get into trouble over that one, and then she dropped out of Law School once he had saved her place!”

Ben wasn’t sure how to respond to that last bit. He did know that Ray had finished nursing school, which was around three years, so if she completed her bachelors at twenty one and then did Law School before dropping it to do nursing, she could be around twenty four or twenty five, which was still young but not too young for him to try –

“She’s had so many boyfriends, why do you think you have a chance? You’re too young for a midlife crisis, and you’re _way_ too old for her. _Please_ , just see someone, and like break it off after tonight.”

X

Cat sighed as she turned on the kettle and looked out the window to see Ned smoking companionably with Rhaegar.

She was quickly updated as to how Rhaegar’s daughter was dating Ben by a thin-lipped Lyanna. Ned was counselling Rhaegar, who was a little shell shocked to see his daughter after some years apparently. It was good of Ned and Rickie, Cat thought, that they accepted Rhaegar after what had happened with Brandon. She did however notice that Ben was a little more – hostile was not the word, but _distant_ with Rhaegar, although all the Stark men were by inclination more reserved than others.

She couldn’t really blame Ben for how he felt; but Cat did feel a little threatened about what Lyanna had did after she had given birth to her own second child. Obviously, Cat didn’t feel so insecure about her marriage now after so many years, but there was an example right in front of Ned about how a man could walk away from his family and find some measure of happiness with a brand new, younger wife.

Lyanna had mentioned how they weren’t meant to tell Rickie that Ben’s accidental new girlfriend was Aerys’ grand-daughter because it would bring up bad memories of Brandon. That made Cat raise her eyebrows: the girl would hardly matter if Rhaegar had been part of their family for years and was accepted by Rickie after Brandon’s death.

The kettle whistled, and Cat poured some tea out for herself. Normally, she didn’t indulge in any sugar, but it was a special day today. She frowned when she noticed that the icing sugar was mixed with the brown sugar but reasoned that Rickie didn’t really care about these types of things anyway.

She mixed in half a teaspoon into her cuppa after a dash of milk, and then took a sip.

**Author's Note:**

> So rare pairs are fun, and after reading Hidden Princess and a Lost Ranger by Nanso (as well as The Scars That Bind; I recommend all of Nanso's works) - I thought, well, I'm anonymous, this ship sounds fun to work with, I am doing a Rhaenys POV series right now, and I want to write something really funny but steamy. So here we all are :)
> 
> This story has been inspired by a real Craigslist ad from a few years ago. I've read a few stories on AO3 also inspired by that ad lol.


End file.
